Charles p



(No Model.)

' C. P. BIRNER.

BICYCLE BRAKE.

No. 604,862. Patented May 24, 1898.

NrTn STATES PATENT Thron,

CHARLES l?. BIRNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MONARCH CYCLE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent No. 604,362, dated May 24, 1898.

Application ltiled December 20, 1897. Serial No. 662,732. (No model.) 4

i To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES P. BIRNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Bicycles, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification;

The present invention relates to that type of brakes for bicycles and the like in which the brakeshoe has pivotal attachment to the steering-fork and is forced into frictional contact with the front or steering wheel by a suitable operating-lever arranged in substantially parallel relation with the handle-bars and having link connections with said brakeshoe.

The objects of the present improvement are to provide a simple, durable, and effective construction of the brake parts, whereby their attachment in place is eifected in a rigid and secure manner and without any liability to lateral displacement and with which a single attaching screw-bolt serves to attach both the brake-shoe support and the brake-shoe spring in proper relative position, all as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be more particularly pointed out in the claims. I attainsuch objects by the mechanism illustrated in rthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a detail longitudinal sectional elevation at line oc Fig. 2, illustrating the present invention as applied to the steeringhead of a safety-bicycle; Fig. 2, a detail transverse sectional elevation of the same at line ze' on', Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of the brake-shoe-attaching bracket in a detached condition; Fig. 4, a plan view of the brake-shoe in a detached condition; Fig. 5, a detail perspective view of the brake-sprin g in a detached condition.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the fork sides, connected together at top by the crown piece or portion 2, to which is connected the steering post or stem 3, that has pivotal bearing in the front or steering-head 4 of the bicycle-frame. Such construction is provided with a Xed cross-baror extension 5,

that is provided with a screw-threaded orifice in line with the axis of such steering-post and arrangeda short distance above the lower end or faceofthecrown 4C, as shown.

6 is a bracket having a rearwardly-extending portion formed with pivot-ears 7, between which is pivotally secured the pivotal eXtension of the brake-shoe by means of a pivot pin or bolt, as shown. The body portion of such bracket 6 is formed with a circular projection 8, that is adapted to fit the bore of the steering-post 3, and with a marginal rim 9, surrounding said circular projection 8 and adapted to limit the movement of said projection into the bore of said steering-post, 10 being a central orifice in said body portion for the passage of the headed attaching-bolt `11, by which the said bracket 6 is fixedly secured in place, and which is effected by the said bolt screwing into the screw-threaded orifice in the cross-bar 5, heretofore described. 12 is the spring, by which the brake-shoe is held out of contact with the steering-wheel of the bicycle. This spring in the present improvement will be formed with the attaching-eye 13, that fits over the circular projection 8 of the bracket 6, and is held between the marginal iiange or rim 9 of said bracket andthe `under face of the crown 2 when said bracket is secured in place by the attachingbolt l1, so that with such construction the one attaching-bolt serves the purpose of a rigid and substantial attachment for both the brake shoe bracket and spring of the present improvement, and in order to prevent any tendency to lateral shifting of such parts and the consequent shifting of the brake-shoe out of line with the cycle-wheel the said eye portion 13 of the spring 12 and the marginal flange 9 of the bracket will be curved or convexed in transverse direction, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to fit the segmental or arched formation of the crown 2, and by fitting against the same prevent any tendency to a lateralmovement ofthe parts after being secured in place by the single attaching-bolt 11.

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The spring 12 is formed with a rearwardlyprojecting loop `portion 14, that curves around the pivot-ears of the bracket 6, with the free end of said spring bearing against the under side of the brake-shoe at a point forward of the pivotal attachment of the shoe in such pivot-ears.

The brake-shoe 15 will be of the usual curved-plate formation, having a pivot-lug 16 on its upper surface for the attachment of the lower end of the usualvertical brakeoperating rod 17 and a rearward extension 18 for pivotal attachment to the ears 7 of the bracket, as heretofore described. In the present improvement this brake-shoe will be formed with an orifice or opening 19 in line with the head of the attaching-bolt 11, so as to admit of a ready access to said bolt in applying or detaching the brake parts to or .from a bicycle.

With the present improved arrangement as shown and in which the pivotal connection is to the rear of the fork sides, duc., a very compact arrangement of parts is attained in that the main portion'of the brakeshoe is between the fork sides and under the crown, and in consequence there is less danger of the same being damaged in the actual use of the bicycle.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a bicycle-brake, the combination, of a steering-fork provided near the lower end of its steering-post with a cross-bar or projection that is formed with a screw-threaded orifice, a bracket formed with a circular projection fitting the bore of the steering-post, a mar ginal flange surrounding said projection, and rearwardlyprojecting pivot-ears, a spring formed with an attaching-eye fitting the circular projection of the bracket, and with a loop portion encircling the pivot-ears of said bracket, with its free end bearing on the under surface of the brake-shoe forward of its pivotal attachment, abrake-shoe of a curvedplate formation pivoted to the pivot-ears of the bracket, and extending forward between the fork sides, and an attaching-bolt passing through the bracket and screwing into the screw-threaded orifice in the cross-bar or projection of the steering-fork, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bicycle-brake, the combination, of a steering-fork provided near the lower end of the steering-post with a cross-bar or projection that is formed with a screw-threaded orifice, a bracket formed with a circular projection fitting the bore of the steering-post, a marginal flange surrounding said projection, and-rearwardlyproj ecting pivot-ears,a spring formed with an attaching-eye fitting the circular projection of the bracket and with a loop portion encircling the pivot-ears of said bracket, with its free end bearing on the under surface of the brake-shoe forward of the pivotal attachment, a brake-shoe of a curvedplate formation pivoted to the pivot-ears of the bracket, and extending forward between the fork sides and an attaching-bolt passing throughthe bracket and screwing into the screw-threaded orifice in the cross-bar or projection of the steering-fork, the said shoe being formed with an orifice in line with the head of said attaching-bolt, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bicycle-brake, the combination, of a steering-fork provided near the lower end of the steering-post with a cross-bar or projec tion that is formed with a screw-threaded orifice, a bracket formed with a circular projection fitting the bore of the steering-post, a marginal flange surrounding said projection an d rearwardly-proj ecting pivot-ears,a spring formed with an attaching-eye fitting the circular projection of the bracket, and with a loop portion encircling the pivot-ears of said bracket, with its free end bearing on the under surface of the brake-shoe forward of its pivotal attachment,'a brake-shoe of a curvedplate formation pivoted to the pivot-ears of the bracket, and extending forward between the fork sides, and an attaching-bolt passing through the bracket `and screwing into the screw-threaded orifice in the cross-bar or projection of the steering-fork, the marginal flange of the bracket, and the attaching-eye of the spring having a convex form in a transverse direction, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof witness my hand this 16th day of December, 1897.

CHARLES P. BIRNER.

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